August 25, 2010

Why do I have to bother with an online application? Isn't a resume enough?

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Q: Why does it seem that every employer wants me to fill out an application online when I apply for a job? I don't understand why companies still want me to sign my name to a form when all the information is on my resume.

Kristen says: While it's an extra, time-consuming step for the job applicant, there are several reasons why most employers have migrated to online applications for all or most of their job postings. In today’s wired world, almost every business uses some form of an electronic database for collecting and managing job candidates. You have probably noticed that the fields you fill out are very similar.

These databases allow recruiters to manage huge amounts of data at a time. For example, some multinational companies like Microsoft, Amazon or Starbucks may literally have millions of candidate records in their databases. Even smaller companies usually have several tens of thousands of records.

The recruiting industry has become one of the largest users of complex information storage and retrieval systems. By standardizing how the information is gathered and stored, we are better able to quickly match the right candidate to the job openings.
As to why an online application is necessary as well as a resume, from a company's perspective, a resume is a sales tool that candidates use to highlight relevant skills for a specific position, but leaves out important information that the company needs, sometimes for legal reasons (such as requirements stemming from Affirmative Action and EEOC policies).

An application, on the other hand, is a legal document that details your paid work history as the Department of Labor defines “jobs.” On their resumes, many people will leave out short stints or part time jobs that aren’t relevant to their career, or they include volunteer/unpaid work that demonstrates their professional history. With ageism a real problem in hiring, many people also leave off their dates of education and older jobs from their resume. And, it is a pretty standard piece of advice to only use the last 7-10 years of your professional history on a resume.

It is also vital to remember that most companies run some sort of a criminal background check prior to making an offer, and the application is the documentation off of which it is conducted. If you lie on your application, it could nullify a pending offer with a new employer.

So, while it may be a nuisance to have to fill out that form when applying for a job, it's become a necessary part of today's job-search process.

Kristen Fife is a recruiter, resume consultant, and employment expert based in the greater Seattle area. She has worked with clients all over North America to help organizations and individuals find a mutual fit in the workplace. Ask her a question at recruiters_inbox@nwjobs.com. Sorry, no personal replies.

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